Rural mail-box.



A. L. WILTSE. RURAL MAIL BOX. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1911.

1,045,488, Patented NOV. 26, 1912.

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RURAL MAIL BOX.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 31, 1911.

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ALVIN L. WILTSE, OF OLATHE, KANSAS.

BUR-AL MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

Application filed March 31, 1911. Serial No. 618,168.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN L. VVILTSE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olathe, in the county of Johnson and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rural Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to mail boxes and more particularly to that class known as rural mail boxes, and seeks to provide a more durable receptacle that will protect the mails from the weather and not freeze shut in winter, easily and quickly opened, always self closing, and that will save the time of the mail carrier.

Mail boxes in rural districts are often crude, failing in many cases to protect the mail from the weather, and often freeze shut delaying the carrier and sometimes causing the mail to become damaged by the weather. It is essential that mail boxes be fully protected from the weather, always easily and quickly opened and that they always remain shut save when they are opened to deposit or withdraw themail.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved nmil box that may be mounted on a post or in any convenient place along the road or highway, that always remains closed, only when held in open position, that will protect the mail from all weather conditions and that can be opened by a single movement of the hand, thus saving time and increasing accordingly the capacity of the carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of indicating when mail is in the box, by an indicator that disappears when the box is opened to withdraw the mail.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts hereinafter set forth, illustrated in the drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claim appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents an end elevation of the improved mail box closed. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same end shown in Fig. 1, open. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on line a;a-, Fig. 5 looking in the direction of arrows I, the

box being closed as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line a-a, Fig. 5 looking in the direction of arrows T, the box being open. Fig. 5 is a side elevation. Fig. 6 is an end elevation, illustrating the opposite end from that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and at. F ig. 7 is afragment in vertical longitudinal section on line bb, Fig. 6 looking in the direction of arrows l I. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan of bifurcated jaw 19, and section in plan of signal arm 18. Fig. 9 is a fragment in elevation of the opposite side of the mail box from that shown in Fig. 5.

The block 1 rests upon the post 2 and sup ports the receptacle 3 which is constructed in cylindrical form with closed ends, and an elongated opening extending along the upper side, through which the mail is deposited and withdrawn, numerals a and 5 representing the terminals of the walls of the receptacle on either side of the opening.

For the purpose of closing and opening the receptacle 3 a cover 6 is fitted over the upper portion of, and extends down outside, the ends of the receptacle. The cover 6 is pivoted to the receptacle at 7 and 8, and is free to oscillate. This cover is shown in closed position in Fig. 3 and open in Fig. 4.

Weights 9 are rigidly connected to the cover and hold it closed, save when opened by force applied. From the ends of receptacle 3 extend rigid arms 10, to which arms 11 and 12 are pivoted at 13. Arms 11 and 12 are joined by rod 14, and are loosely connected to the cover 6 by links 15, and arms 16 which are rigid with the cover. It will be understood from this description that the cover 6 remains in closed position by reason of the weights 9 and that it may be rotated to posit-ion illustrated in Fig. a, by a slight pressure downward on the rod 14, but as soon as this pressure is released the cover will automatically close and so remain until again opened.

The cover over-laps the receptacle along the sides, and forms a shield at both ends, thus protecting any contents of the receptacle from the weather. Signal 17 is rigidly attached to arm 18, pivoted at 8, and always hangs downward save when set in raised position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6. lVhen the signal is set in raised position the bifurcated jaw 19 grips and holds the arm 18. The stop 20 prevents the raising of arm 18 too far and serves to discharge the signal from raised position when the box is opened. From this it is manifest that the cover 6 may be opened and closed with the signal 17 hanging down and the signal will so remain, but if the signal is set in raised position it will remain raised until the box is opened, when it will fall to the lower position.

When mail is placed in the receptacle the signal will be raised and set by hand to denote that the box contains mail, the mail cannot be withdrawn without dropping the signal, and if all the mail is not withdrawn the signal will again be set by the parties withdrawing the same, while if all the mail is taken out, the signal will be left down to indicate that the box is empty.

The signal 17 is intended to be set for .the purpose of indicating to the carrier that mail is in the box to be taken up, thus the carrier will know without stopping whether or not the box contains mail. 'When mail is in the box to be collected by the carrier, he can with one arm reach across the rod let, allowing a slight pressure downward on the rod which will open the cover 6 and with the hand of the same arm withdraw the mail, in some cases without making a stop.

It is manifest that while my invention is particularly adapted to the rural mail service, it may be advantageously employed for the collection and distribution of mails or other matter in more densely populated 7 districts and certain features of the invention may be varied by the skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In rural mail boxes the combination of a stationary cylindrical sheet metal receptacle having an opening throughout the length of the upper side and closed ends, a segmental semirevoluble cover fitted over said openof said receptacle and pivoted thereto at each end on the center line of said receptacle, said cover having rigid arms 20 secured to the ends thereof and weights 9 secured to said arms to hold said cover normally closed but in revoluble position, arms 10 extending across the ends of said receptacle and secured thereto, said arms extending laterally from one side of said receptacle then up to a point higher than the top of said receptacle, a pair of rocker arms 11 and 12 located at the opposite ends of said receptacle and pivoted at 13 to arms 10, the outer ends of said arms 11 and 12 being connected with a handle bar 14 located always higher than the top of said receptacle, and links 15 connecting the inner ends of arms 11 and 12 to rigid arms 16, said arms and said links being for the purpose of rotating said segmental cover from the opening of said cylinder by a downward pressure of the mail collectors arm on rod 1 1 and to avoid the necessity of using the hand in opening the said mail box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN L. WILTSEL lVitnesses:

HARRY V. BERONIUS, LoUIs H. DOERING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

mg with ends extending down over the ends 

